The Haunted Boy Analysis

1. In the short narrative “The Haunted Boy” by Carson McCullers, Hugh Brown overcomes the terrors of his haunting past by succumbing to the fears brought on by a horrifying experience that leaves him broken with feelings of abandonment: “…knew something was finished… never cry again… no longer a haunted boy, now that he was glad somehow, and not afraid” (682). The thought of being alone terrifies Hugh and reveals the scars he has from his mother’s attempt to kill herself. Since he finds her on the bathroom floor one day after school alone he insists John Laney stay. He lies, begs, and manipulates Laney but is unsuccessful in his attempts. Walking through the house solo forces Brown to face the hurt he experiences the last time his mother

The titillating aspect of this work is the scene of Brown in the hallway mirror. He becomes keenly aware of the figurative dead boy staring back at him. His mother’s absence is enough to send him spiraling back in time to the darker days. Brown’s physical ailments match his mental state and he can no longer accept solitude after the anxiety pulls him back. As he is speaking to Laney, Brown exhibits a mature disposition as his front for society and mentally notes the tinge of sadness that comes with Laney calling him Hugh. Then at the finale of the story, Brown reacts as his father uses curse words as he speaks to him and his son translates them as compliments clarifying the change as the child becomes a man. This dynamic of the father and son relationship shows the respect Brown has for his father. He previously mentions the fragile nature his father has been in too and with confirmation of the beautiful future rolling out before them, Brown finds

In this fable, McCullers nimbly scribes the emotions of a young man and the familiar image of societal pressure that conform him into a monster. The author does not write him to be the same as a typical teenager; rather a ripe young adult with a wise mentality beyond his age whose maturity rests on him surmounting his fear. McCullers usage of language and colors to convey a message is flawless. She presents her audiences with mental pictures that place them into the story with a sidewalk point of view via the first person narration. The bursts of flashbacks as Brown opens the door to the bathroom sends chills down your spine as a mother. The author shows red in this scene to relate it back to Brown discovering his mother and having to relive that monumental moment in his juvenile years. It brings forth emotions from the audiences of sympathy and an outpouring of tenderness for the character. Without McCullers superior methods of relaying her message through her wording, this piece would be less